SELINIANS -Overview
The Children of Lyllith Human-like, or 'Humanoid', they are nonetheless ''not ''Human. What makes Human/Selinian interactions interesting is that they are similar enough to understand each other in many ways, they're different enough from each other to have distinct identities as species. They're not merely Humans in rubber suits, or Humans with rubber ears. Selinians are not like the typical 'advanced species waiting to go mindlessly savage'. They are at least as cunning, devious and deceitful as Humans are, and somewhat more as their society is heavily based on Natural selection and Genetic Imperialism. Case in point: the Adulthood Rite. At age 14, male or female, all Selinians undergo it--willingly or not. It's a fight to the death, in an arena, vs. a creature from the Selinian homeworld known as a Ghost Cat. Ghost cats are very intelligent, thinking predators with the ability to plan ahead and adapt. In short, they are phenomenally dangerous and on any given year the mortality rate among 14 year olds undergoing the Rite is around 35%. The Adulthood Rite is undergone naked, all you have is what you were born with and what you've learned. The Rite tests every aspect of an individual from intelligence, adaptability, foresight and tactical/strategic planning, anticipation, reflexes, endurance, stamina and strength as well as senses, and ones ability to use them to the best possible, while integrating Instincts, Intuition and Intelligence into a unified whole. It doesn't matter HOW one wins, all is fair in the arena as it's a fight to the death...and the only rule IS to win. In general, they're measurably taller than Humans, average height for a Selinian woman is 5'10 to 6'1. Selinian culture is quite given to art, music and the like. They are a somewhat ruthlessly pragmatic species, but they do enjoy the lighter side of life and do certainly indulge in many forms of recreations such as Humans do. At odds with the pragmaticism-mindedness of the species, they are very passionate and emotions in a Selinian run higher, hotter and far deeper than in a Human--and include emotional states utterly alien to Human psychology. Not a 'Warrior' species, they are descended from Apex Predator stock, and although not a militaristic, nor a warrior society, they are very skilled and intuitive in war. However, 'honor' in combat and war to a Selinian means killing the enemy and returning home. In battle no quarter or mercy are given or requested. Interstellar wars initiated by other species have usually seen it become a war of extinction, as Selinians view war as a contest of extinction and nothing less...a matter of pure survival of their species. In their history, only 2 species that initiated hostilities against Selinianity were permitted to survive--because they willing offered absolute and unconditional surrender and disarmament on their own initiative. Selinians do not request surrender in war--it's up to the enemy to offer it, and it must be sincere as if a surrender-ploy is used as a trick to gain a strategic/tactical advantage then no further appeals to offer surrender will be accepted and Seliniaity will eradicate the hostile species. Selinianity did NOT take them as slaves, and Selinians have a instinctive and extreme for slavery as they make extremely problematic and dangerous slaves themselves. They did place the now-disarmed alien territories and worlds under Protectorate status--meaning that while the defeated enemy is absolutely forbidden weapons, the Sovereignty protects their worlds and populations with a level of dedication as they do their own. From this, you can see why I will not be playing with them in STAR TREK....The Sovereignty and Federation would never get along.